Probable Water Ice Sighted On Mars 393
CraftyJack writes "Bright white chunks in the trenches dug by the Phoenix Lander have disappeared, leading Peter Smith & co. to believe that the chunks were ice that has since sublimated."
Without life, Biology itself would be impossible.
Was there ever doubt? (Score:5, Interesting)
This is why robots aren't great for science (Score:5, Interesting)
The reality is that manned spaceflight is not *economical* for scientific research at this point. We should be working on getting our launch costs down so that we could actually send people to do things, build factories in space, and start getting some real benefit out of space.
what they should do (Score:3, Interesting)
its pretty obvious we'll fuck this planet up sooner rather than later so its probably a good idea to spread the seeds of life somewhere else. Maybe in 100 million years new life forms will thrive on Mars.
Re:This is why robots aren't great for science (Score:5, Interesting)
And there is always C & D. C: Robot lander lands on Mars and completes mission. D: Philip Fry completes mission, but the return module will not leave Mars. Will we ever try that again?
I'm a big fan of robots to do stuff like this.
Re:Was there ever doubt? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:This is why robots aren't great for science (Score:4, Interesting)
I imagine that traveling to Mars and staying there to do serious research would, without significant advances, mean a shorter lifespan and for some; a martian burial.
Re:This is why robots aren't great for science (Score:5, Interesting)
Come on please. It is easier to get stuff there than to get stuff there and return it.
Find a couple astronaut capable people who have recently been diagnosed with cancer. Couple years to live, don't bring them back.
A little cold hearted to design, but I'd guarantee you would have no lack of volunteers.
From global surveyer to today (Score:3, Interesting)
Still remember when global surveyer first released the picture of massive amounts of water below the surface. It was too good to be true, no-one believed it, and it got put away.
Now we've found massive amounts of water just below the surface, enough water to make huge amounts of rocket fuel, and it didn't even make a buried link on CNN. Where in Calif* can you find water just 2" below the surface?
Re:Was there ever doubt? (Score:2, Interesting)
I don't know, but I do know that 'knowing' that water is on mars is a big objective. I'm curious why they are observing and interpreting strange data instead of applying some (probably easily produced) technical gadget to detect the presence of water.
It can't be that hard to make the device. You'd think that if they put so much importance on whether or not water is on mars, that the rover would be equipped with something to test that. Guess not.
Re:The real question is... (Score:2, Interesting)
Platinum. A fuckup won't kill the environment as much with Platinum.
Well, we could just build a bigger catapult on Mars, if only it had some sort of giant fucking mountain, we could build the mass driver along the side of it.
Re:This is why robots aren't great for science (Score:3, Interesting)
At some point the public, law, and morality has to accept that adult humans can and should be able to make choices that are irrevocable.
Besides, considering the trip length to Mars, anybody with 2 years to live wouldn't make it back. Even if there was a way back.
BTW: Don't delude yourself that this won't happen. NASA won't do it, sure. The Chinese will.
Re:They Really Really Really Found Water (Almost) (Score:3, Interesting)
yeah!
just like Duke Nukem Forever will really really really really really really really come out this year!